Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-03-31

because 1t s cool, and l always do my
sewing afternoons; in the mornings
there is housework.'
1t was a shabby little parlor, seldom
used by the boarders, who were prin-
cipally gentlemen, and spent their
evenings out, if not in their own rooms.
A few tawdry decorations only en-
HANGED the shabbiness of the thread
bare carpet, dirty walls and ancient
lace curtains.
"Do YOU never have any amusements,
ClariceP asked John, trying to forget
his own wretchednees by interesting
himself in some one else.
"Amusements, she repeated push
ing the curls of her forehead in puz-
zled way. 80, yes; there is Mr.
Jones; he plays the piano; and once
Mr.. Aikens, the the elocution teacher,
read piece, and all the boarders came
in"
John smiled, cycling the little maiden
pityingly as she stitched away. She
looked up suddenly and caught his eye.
"We did not always keep boarders, "
she said, proudly, reading something
there she did not like. "When | was
at school we were well off and had
nice house; but mamma is widow
with eight children, you know, and |
have to help her about the work"
81 know" said John, kindly, looking
at little Clarice with so much sympa-
thy that she quite warmed toward him,
and continued contidentially:
"Once / had beautiful time-that
was good while ago-a girl | knew at
school hunted me up, wrote to me and
invited me to see her. 1t was in Phila-
lelphia.'
"And did you go?'
"Ah, yes, and it was beautiful
time!" Then, her face falling, "but /
had to come home. 1t was all over in
three months"
"Ah, that was hard" sympathetic
ally.
Eyes, it was, Mr.. Rogers" taking
up another jacket and beginning on a
new hole. "For they were rich, you
know, and it was quite like old times
their nice house and all-and then to
come back here-the noise and the
children, and clearing up the rooms
it seemed worse after that. But per-
haps | shouldn't have minded it if it
hadn't been for-there was something
worse than all that continued Clarice,
working hard at the jacket with crimson
cheeks.
"Will you tell me about it?' asked
John Rogers, very kindly, his honest
gray eyes softening. "Itdoes one good
sometimes to tell ones troubles, and !
am so much older than you"
Clarice looked up, quite gratified at
this unexpected sympathy.
81 will tell you, Mr. Rogers. 1t was
when l was in Philadelphia that met
Harris-Harris Bell-and / was-so
different there, at the parties went tc
with Fannie, that he thought l wa:
pretty, and told me so, and said thai
he loved me and wanted me to be his
wife. l had IA pretty white dress, you
know" timidly, and glancing blush
ingly down at her present faded calico
land wore Howers-and-you cal
scarcely understand it.
Eyes, l can understand it," sale
John, noting the light in the brown
eyes and the newly acquired color
"Tell me the rest, Clarice."
"And we were engaged-and coul,
scarcely believe it-but I was yer,
happy. He was such handsome gen
, tleman too, and so aristoeratic, and
did not mind the boarders; or an,
/ thing when thought about Harris. s.
: at last he came here to see me; and h
saw mamma and the children, tn,
= house and the boarders, and | can
5 tell you how it was, but he was differ
, ent. He didn't tell me he was changed
r but he was restless, and it worried him
and | saw he cared. | am proud, MI
s Rogers, though we are poor now, and
\ broke it all up. 1t wasn't the love
I had dreamed of. | had read a grea
h many novels, and thought life was
i fairy tale, and love was beautiful.
i always used to think: When some on
4 comes to love me I'll never be sad c
s vexed any more; and Harris SCENE
r to me to be all had wished for unit
;. / saw the house and the boarders frette
!. him. For had dreamed of love thu
Y would be out of the common, and thu
d when went away with my lover
thought ], too, would be better, iu
as he wished me to be. So told hin
o. Mr.. Rogers, it was all over, and h
= said perhaps we were not fitted to maxi
% each other happy. And then he wei
# away, and the work and the noise an
+ and the boarders fretted me as the
had never done before. For somehow
n although could not love him as muC
% for treating me so, the thoughts abol
4 him and the dreams about him were a
Il gone-and missed them so"
"Poor childr' said John, tenderly.
T "But it's my own fault, Mr.. Roger
expected too much. There is no SUI
love as l have dreamed about, al
mother says did very wrong to bre;
,e it off. She was very angry with m
II but knew these things would alwa
"A fret him, and | could not bear it."
h. "Clarice, would it help you any
10 know that l, too, have suffered as y,
"a have sufferedp" asked John, for ty
d shining tears had dropped on the DO!
20 jacket. 81, too, had dreamed of loy
and found woman whom l believ
"a had given me that love; but because h
10 parents found in me only plain, pc
A. man, no longer young, she gave me
| Sls 1890 ,,,> g,,+I a,,l tr,,st aud bo